Style Icon | Muse: Romy Schneider

SHE WAS A MUSE in all facets of her life, from her successful acting career to her passionate yet tragic personal life. Romy Schneider was born in Vienna, but moved to France when she was young to pursue a career in acting. She soon became a muse to directors like Luchino Visconti and Orson Welles, appearing in countless films that established her as one of the leading actresses of her generation. “I don’t know anything about life, but everything about cinema,” she once wrote, yet a woman who was engaged to Alain Deloin, a French film star, and a favourite of Coco Chanel, who would see her personally for fittings, undoubtedly knows about living.The style icon didn’t confine herself to tweed suits and 2.55 bags, since she adored Pucci’s colourful prints and was frequently seen in the fashion house’s designs. By the 70s she reigned as one of the biggest stars, having won two César awards, and used her fame to speak out on issues like women’s rights. Tragedy seemed to follow her though, since her first husband committed suicide, and their son David died at the age of 14 from an impalement that punctured his femoral artery after attempting to climb the spiked fence at his stepfather’s parents’ home. This accident occurred one year before Romy herself passed away. “Rarely has a star been so blessed by the gods and so battered by fate, or a woman been so brilliant and yet so tormented,” wrote Jean-Pierre Lavoignat, the curator of an exhibition dedicated to Schneider. An impossibly true quote for an inspirational woman who seemed to have it all. ⎯Victoria

“One can remain ETERNALLY young if, each day, one grows rich by MARVELLOUS moments.”

— Romy Schneider.

CORRECTION: Romy’s son David died from an impalement on a spiked fence at his stepfather’s parents’ home, and not from a car accident as previously stated in the original published version of this article. –ED.

Victoria lives in the south of Spain, having moved there from her native country Ukraine when she was just a child. She finds herself looking up to timeless icons from past decades including Jackie O, Grace Kelly, Katherine Deneuve and Audrey Hepburn, and longing for sunny afternoons on the French Riviera and walks along the Seine during spring. Always overdressed and dishing out on tailored pieces and shoes – secretly dreaming they were from Dior or Saint Laurent – she dresses for herself rather than others, and would trade breakfast for Vogue or a one way ticket to anywhere beautiful.www  email

Beautiful shots of a fascinating woman. Now I want to read more about her. But I do remember reading that she had a young son who slid down a cement ramp beside a set of steps, and was impaled on the spikes of the fence below and bled to death. What a sad life.
Thank you.